Tracy D'arth
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Posts posted by Tracy D'arth
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Do you really need a super accurate tacho on a diesel engine in a boat? Most of us are quite happy with a guestimate one running off the alternator.
In fact, do we need tachos at all?
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I had bought the cheaper end 20A charger from Durite to replace a 20 odd year old Halfords auto charger which had been great until it died.
The Durite was replaced twice under warrantee, the last time because it spewed sparks out of the vent.
Gave up and bought a blue Victron for about twice as much and it has been fine, worth the money for peace of mind.
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Looking on the bright side its most likely to be condensation. The air around the tank gets warmed in the sun and then the cold wind chills it below the dew point.
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Find the Samsung complaints button rather than repair or warranty.
Or simply reject your purchase with the credit card company as "unfit for purpose"
Dedicated or desiccated? I would hold off on the contact spray, some damage some plastics and if you have to return it; you may queer your pitch.
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For flash Harrys with shiny boats who sit in marinas all the time?
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To save you searching for it here is the Tracy D'arth method that works.
"How to correctly pressurise an accumulator.
You need a bicycle or foot pump which will attach to the schrader valve on the end of the accumulator.
Switch off the pump electric supply.
Open a tap.
Pump air in, water may run from the tap,, until some resistance is felt to pumping and then a little more. How much depends on the size of the accumulator but you will not damage it unless you go mad. Remove the pump.
Close the tap.
Switch on the pump and allow it to pump until it stops.
Very slowly let air out of the accumulator by pressing the pin in the valve, stop letting air out as soon as the pump starts up again. Pump will run and then stop.
Job done, the accumulator is now correctly pressurised to a tad under the pump cut in pressure whatever that may be."
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The good folk of Wolverhampton keep the canals full.
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15 minutes ago, Manxcat54 said:
Well I'm back from the boat, I sucked out must of the water with my vac, it was fairly clean by the look of it, and since this old girl was built in 1979 and has never had a drain plug, I think I will just leave well alone, I took all the old perished hoses off the engine, then tried a car shop for some replacements, they took one look and said no, so I came home and went online, I found the odd one quite easily (it is a reduced one 55mm down to 40mm) and the others I ordered from bloody Amazon.
OK my next problem, how the hell do you remove the sliding hatch cover, when pushed fully open it stops at 2 big welded on stops, and when in the closed position it seems to come to a stop on an angle iron, which seems to be an integral part of the roof system? so without cutting off the 2 stops and removing the first mushroom vent I can't see how it can be removed, and before you ask, I want to remove some pretty bad rust on it's underside, and trying to do in situ would be a tough one indeed.
The answer was in your post = cutting off the 2 stops and removing the first mushroom vent
Bolt on stops on reassembly, stainless allen screws in the vent then you stand a chance in 5 years time of undoing them again.
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I would tap the tank for a 1/2" BSP X 1/4" BSP bush, fit a 1/4" BSP plug in the bush. Next time you have a welder to hand, weld the bush to the tank so that it will never unscrew. The 1/4" BSP plug will be an adequate drain, a tap could be fitted.
I would not use a type B drain off cock, The quality is poor and the washers vulcanise themselves to the seat. They are unsuitable in a boat and just about adequate for a domestic heating system drain.
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I have never been able to access that basin. That lock is not a watermate lock, I think its a C&RT security lock like on sluices.
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One of the connections, usually the one that went to the water pump, will be a dip tube down to the bottom of the tank. The other will stop at the top.
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1 hour ago, LadyG said:
Wanted to set off early, the weather was very gloomy, but sunny now.
Unfortunately a small bunny rabbit appeared inside about ten a.m., by the time I found appropriate catching kit it had disappeared, I can't imagine it has got out by itself. I'll need to continue the search myself as cat is no longer interested.
You have a caterpillar that eats rabbits?
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If the filter is hard to get at you could fit the conversion to a spin on can filter, it involves changing just the cast filter head bolted to the block.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155706489240? or cheaper
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The problems with the Zanussi ZWC1300 washers is not the brush motor but is the electronic timing in the programmer. Some power sources it will happily accept, some it will not. Often you need a small constant load on the inverter to stop the program halting especially on the last spin.
I would be very concerned about trying to run a direct drive motor on most inverters and generators, there is a lot of complicated power switching electronics to get messed up.
Older lower spin speed washers can have plain induction motors usually with capacitor start/run and fairly simple stepped speed control.
To get the higher spin speeds manufacturers used brush motors with infinite speed control electronics.
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I have seen many 1500 BMC engines that have seized, some through overheating, some through not being used for years. Most once started run OK.
If the bearings are not knocking or squeaking it is likely that a piston or pistons seized in the bore and stopped the engine.
I assume that you left it to cool whilst you sorted the o ring in the filter and it then started OK.
Do you have an oil pressure gauge and an oil warning light? If a gauge, what is the pressure at 1500 rpm hot and tick over,700 rpm, hot?
Does it sound OK? Any smoking from the exhaust?
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Where and how are you measuring the temperature?
Its not the outside temperature that is important but the winding temperature deep in the windings.
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WELCOME! Good to have you aboard. There may well be lots of interest in your dad's drawings and boat plans if you can share them.
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Where is Liquid Molly of lifeboat fame when you need him? He would love this thread.
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7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:
I just wonder why when the manufacturer goes to a lot of trouble specifying a standard, not make of oil to be used in their engines people often what to use something else
I wonder too why the oil specs are so difficult for Joe public to understand. Having been tied to several oil companies products in our different garages I could never see the difference between them all. The possible exception was Duckhams, their 20w50 was green again all the others brown!
From experience I have found that the average mass produced engines will run fine on any oil for a long time, the vehicle usually dies of other than engine failure. Being lazy now I never change oil, in fact I rarely open the bonnet unless it is to top up the washer bottle. My engines still run for 40,000 to 70,000 miles before the tin worm causes a test fail and recycling.
Inland boat engines are hugely under stressed but are expected to last for many more years than the average car so I suppose more attention should be shown to oil specs but I have never bothered and have never had an engine failure in 50 years. In the early boating years we ran everything on recycled oil from Ironsides in Stockport, no trouble.
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2 minutes ago, dan01eb said:
The engine isn't new, it's approx 2007 and has just over 3000 hours. I'm thinking of ordering the following if the spec looks correct enough? I'm about to service the engine for the first time since acquiring the boat..
Status Car Care 15W40 E7 Super MINERAL ENGINE OIL E7 5L 5 Litre
£24.4915W/40 E7 SL/CI-4 is a top-tier mixed-fleet multi-grade engine oil suitable for use in the latest heavy duty diesel and petrol engines. 15W/40 E7 SL/CI-4 meets the latest ACEA and API performance levels and is formulated for use in Euro III and Euro IV technology vehicles where low SAPS levels are not specified. 15W/40 E7 SL/CI-4 meets exhaust emission standards implemented in 2002, sustains engine performance where exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is used and can be used with diesel fuels containing up to 0.5% sulphur.
Wide Ranging Fleet Product for Diesel and Petrol Engines
Excellent Protection for European, US and Japanese Engines.
Protects against Wear and Ring Sticking at High Temperatures, maintaining Engine and Oil Performance.
Low Oil Consumption and Extended Oil Drain Intervals
Excellent High and Low Temperature Performance
Long Lasting Dispersant, Anti-wear and Corrosion Protection
API SL/CI-4
ACEA: A3/B3, A3/B4, E3, E5, E7
Cummins: CES 20071, 72, 76, 77, 78
Mack: EO-M Plus
MB: 228.3, 229.1
VW: 505.00 quality
Volvo: VDS-3
MAN: M3275
RVI: RLD
Global: DHD-1Looks to be right but the price is crazy, I buy the cheapest 15w40 off ebay in 20 litre drums. At this level. oil is oil despite the fancy specs and they are unnecessary for what is after all only a basic plant engine.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272047822428?
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I would not used a part or whole synthetic oil as it is not on spec and too expensive. There are loads of plain 15w40 oils available from car spares shops, farm suppliers and on line.
You may not find CC or CD grades now but no harm in using higher grades, CE, CF,or CG even.
Recycled oils are also suitable and may be better as they will contain a small amount of ash which will aid bore cleaning.
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2 hours ago, Lottiespal said:
Thank you, I’ll have a look at them. Have you used them yourself?
No, only I fix my boats, but Tooleys are an old established firm and well trusted locally.
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Tooleys in Banbury?
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11 hours ago, frahkn said:
The guy who replaced my batteries last month told me that he would take the old ones to the scrappy but that he now got very little for them because he had to pay a "hazardous waste" levy which covered most of the receipt. I can't really be bothered to research this but was he lying?
Yes.
Expanding a tube, to fit onto a 25mm male thread. For an ariel mount.
in Boat Equipment
Posted
I think that you will find an Arial far too heavy to be mounted on a pole. A lightweight racer may be better.
Or even an aerial, Or an antennae.
To be helpful, can you get a sleeve that is 25mm internal diameter and use that to join the two?
MDPE pipe is 25mm OD so a heavy plastic pipe joiner may do it. Or a brass 28mm compression pipe fitting with a slit sleeve of 28mm copper pipe inside. 28mm copper is about 25.6mm internal, it will crush in a compression fitting if slit.
Expanding tube unless it is a ductile metal like copper is tricky without the proper machines.